Burger & Lobster: No Reservations, No Menus, No Apps…Just Simple, Hearty Fare!

By: Anne M. Raso

Going out with a bunch of friends who drive you crazy because it takes them at least 15 minutes to decide what to order off the menu. Well, why not take them to a really fun place with great food where there is NO MENU! There are no appetizers, and your entrée choices are only a juicy 10-ounce burger, a whole 1-1/2 pound lobster (grilled or steamed) or a lobster roll; all come with delicious skinny-cut fries, and a salad. Well, the whole lobsters also come with melted butter on the side if you want me to be totally exactly. There are only two desserts but they will be changing ever two or three months. A super-reasonable 20 bucks gets you each items and desserts are only about six dollars extra! The wait staff is lucky that they do not have to handle menus or customers with too many questions, and there are no reservations accepted.

Vermilion: Bringing The Best Of Indian And Latin American Cuisines Together In Midtown East!

By: Anne M. Raso

There's no question that there is an infinite amount of fusion eateries all over Manhattan, but few create such a heavenly blend as Vermilion (on the northwest corner of 46th and Lexington) does with Indian and Latin America cuisine. I have to be honest and say that chef/owner Rohini Dey leans a little heavier on Indian, but the results are always magical. How did she decide on creating a restaurant with this seemingly odd cuisine fusion? She says that her decision was based on history: "The Indian-Latin concept of Vermilion is also based on deep historical cross-flows and culinary influences of the Persians, Moors, Spanish, Portuguese, and waves of direct migration. Vermilion’s melding draws heavily from the tropical and geographical overlap of ingredients, herbs and spices across India, Spain & Latin America -- such as coconut, tamarind, mango, lychee, papaya, beans, rice, guava, plantain, cilantro, lime, corn, rice, beans and chickpeas, saffron -- all utilized extensively in both cuisines."

Interior